Sometimes more satisfying movie experiences are provided by unlikely titles; this is one of those times for me.  To be sure, Interceptor is a rather cheesy action movie, exaggerated in premise and unabashedly violent and villainous.  It’s not an A-level action movie.  And yet, I found it to be effectively staged, remarkably cogent and a blast to watch and enjoy.  Not all successful films have to be Hollywood’s finest efforts.  Occasionally projects lower on the ladder of hierarchy can be surprisingly good, surpassing their lower budgets and surpass their lesser ambitions.  This is one of those movies, at least for me.

Matthew Reilly’s film describes that there are only two American missile defense sites which can intercept Russian nuclear launches; one in Alaska, one at sea.  Attacks come at both of these sites, with the site at sea being the primary focus of this tale.  Captain Collins (Elsa Pataky) has just been reassigned to SBX-1, and within hours she is fighting back against infiltrators who want to eliminate the facility so that a nuclear attack can take place, forcing America to start all over again, minus a couple of hundred million people.  Collins faces off against another American, Alexander Kessel (Luke Bracey), an erudite rich boy looking to change the course of history while pocketing millions for himself and escaping to Russia.  Can Captain Collins hold off the inevitable?

Plots like this are the fodder of many a low-budget thriller such as The Pandora Project, Sub Zero and others of that ilk.  Most, like this one, tend to favor military commando action over exposition and character, with lots of sneaking around and explosions.  But relatively few provide appreciable excitement, or tantalizing plot developments or thoughtful characters to flesh out their stunt work.  I am pleasantly surprised by the sensibilities of this grandiose nuclear terrorism thriller, from its tough central character to its avoidance of tired clichés in favor of robust dialogue and very convincing ramifications.  I assume the central conceit is pure hokum but I bought into it with little resistance and was quite happy to go along for the ride.

Elsa Pataky is a curious choice for Captain Collins, given her Spanish accent, but she’s certainly tough enough for the role.  Her husband, Chris Hemsworth, is an executive producer of the project and has a funny cameo role in the later half of the story.  Every decent good vs. evil story needs a powerful antagonist, and Alex Kassel is that.  Luke Bracey’s performance is rather chilling as someone who should really know better but has chosen the wrong path in life and is determined to see it through.  Like I said, this is kind of a cheesy movie, but friends know how much I love cheese (pizza, anyway).  Take a bite!  ☆ ☆ ☆.  15 March 2026.